The Radio Misinterpretation
by karyshamy
Summary: Penny won a trip in a radio quiz, but it turned out it was not exactly what she had initially thought. This story is an entry for the Valentine's Day Challenge of the forums.
1. Drawing Straws

**Author's notes: **This is my entry for the Valentine's Day challenge! I hope I'll be able to finish it in time. I believe it will have just a few chapters, but still not sure about how many.

******SPOILER ALERT!******

**I included spoilers to the chapter 8x15 'The comic book store regeneration', so if you don't want to get spoiled I suggest you wait it until it's aired before you read it. If you don't mind being spoiled, go on!**

As usual, I own nothing. Neither Katy Perry's song.

* * *

**Chapter 1 - Drawing straws**

Penny drove fast through the streets of Pasadena heading to a clinic. She had an appointment with Dr. Sommer at 10 am and she woke up horribly late that day. Leonard tried to wake her up earlier, but she had a bad headache from the wine she drank the night before.

"Never buy cheap wine again. _Never_ buy cheap wine again." She repeated to herself out loud. Buying wine at a gas station convenience store was not the best idea, she should have known.

"Oh, damn it, not another traffic light!" She stopped and watched the pedestrians slowly crossing in front of her car. She turned the radio on, searching for a station with something to ease her mind.

"Neil Diamond: nope! Ugh, Nirvana? No way!"

She skipped to another station until she found a song she finally liked.

_"Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar! Oh oh oh oh oh oh"_

She sang along, dancing with her head bouncing. That was exactly what she needed, a happy mindless cool song. By the end of the song the beautiful cheerful voice of the announcer made her smile. She always loved to hear his voice, she wondered if he was a tall and strong guy with good looks.

**"Thanks for listening to MNAST! Gooood Gooood Goood morning everyone! That was Katy Perry with 'Roar'! Wanna hear me roar? ROOOOAAARRRRR..."**

"Hmmmm... Roooarrr indeed!"

**"Claudy, tell us what we have for our listeners this morning!"**

**"Alright, Jeff! Today we are giving a roooomantic Valentine's day trip to A-A-Aspen!"**

**"Cool! And how many couples will take this trip?"**

**"I'm glad you asked! Four couples will enjoy the romance, ski and wine for freeeeee!"**

"Wine for free? I'm in!" She yelled, just as she stopped at another traffic light.

**"And what do our listeners need to do to win this trip?"**

**"They just have to call us at _(speaking together)_ 321-MNAST _(back to Claudy)_ and answer our Katy Perry Quizzzzzz! If you got all the answers right you can be one of the winners!"**

"Oh my God! That's so easy! I need to win this trip! It's perfect!" Penny quickly dialed the number and turned her phone to the speaker, just in time before the she kept on driving to the clinic.

* * *

The four friends were having breakfast in the cafeteria at Caltech.

"So, are you planning what to do on Valentine's Day?"

"It's still three weeks away, Raj!" Sheldon observed.

"I don't know about you, but I have big plans with Emily!"

"Does she know that already?" Howard asked him, knowing he was probably planning something astronomical.

"No... But I'm sure she'll love it!"

"And what are you planning to do?" Leonard asked.

"I booked a honeymoon suite at a fancy hotel in Vegas for the weekend!"

"Honeymoon suite? But you're not getting married! Or are you?" Sheldon asked, confused.

"Yeah, dude, not cool." Leonard replied. "Believe me, it's not a good idea to propose after sex."

Raj gulped. He really hadn't thought that through, he was just seeing the romantic side of it.

"Yeah, I guess you're right... I'll cancel the reservations..." He said, disappointed.

"What about you, Leonard?" Howard asked.

"I don't know, Penny asked to leave Valentine's day on her this year. She said she would do something special for us... It will probably involve just wine and sex."

"Just wine and sex? Yeah, how miserable you are!"

Sheldon scoffed.

"What?"

"Howard, Leonard loves to have wine and sex with Penny, he will not be miserable at all!"

"Yeah... Right, Sheldon, silly me!" Everyone rolled their eyes at Sheldon's lack of understanding of sarcasm.

"And by the way, you can't expect other than a frivolous and witless plan from Penny. Just the opposite of what I have planned for Amy and I. A sensible and imaginative arrangement."

"Really? What have you arranged?"

"That's absolutely none of your business!"

"Nevermind. How about you, Howard?"

"Well... I was hoping I could ride the wave of one of you guys... I really have nothing planned since my mom died."

"Gee, dude, I'm sorry, maybe we can do something together. You're my best friend and I won't leave you alone in that."

"Yeah, Howard, count me in. If Penny and I can do something for you we will."

They all looked at Sheldon, who didn't say anything.

"What? Oh... No, I can't share what we're doing with Howard, even though I honestly have a fellow feeling for your loss. Now if you excuse me I have important discoveries to make in the name of science." He stood up with his tray and left, leaving the three friends flabbergasted at the table.

* * *

"Hey Amy!"

"Bernie! What a nice surprise! I was not expecting you in my lab!"

"I thought I could stop by and have lunch with you, maybe we could talk a little, is it ok? It's been tough since Howie's mom died." She placed a few bags on her table.

"Sure! Let me just text Sheldon and tell him I'm having lunch with you instead."

"Is it really ok? I didn't mean to spoil your lunch time with Sheldon."

"No, that's ok, we've been eating together everyday for over three weeks."

"Wow, I didn't know you were getting so close lately."

"Yeah, ever since Christmas he's been much kinder to me, I guess Meemaw cookies really worked!" She winked at Bernie.

"Yeah, you're welcome by the way." She winked back at Amy.

"And if you can provide me a bit more of that special sugar I can prepare something for Valentine's day as well!"

"Sure! Don't forget to limit the dose to half a teaspoon!"

"Of course." Amy gave her a convincing smile.

The two friends sat together at her lab and started eating the sandwiches Bernadette brought.

"I guess you're not in the mood for Valentine's Day, right?"

"Yeah, I'm trying not to press Howard to do anything, with his mother's death I believe the best will be for us to stay home and have a quiet dinner."

"Poor Howard, I wish I could do something to make him feel better.

"He's devastated. It was terrible to go through his mother's things at her house last week."

"Yeah, I remember going through our cousins things after their accident, I could salvage a lot of clothes though."

"Well, I don't think anybody would fit his mother's clothes anyway. Howard wanted to bring home his mother's clowns, can you believe it? Those things are creepy!"

"Err... Poor Howie, it's really hard to lose someone so close."

"Yeah... But enough talking about me! Tell me, how are your plans for Valentine's day?"

"Well, in fact Sheldon is making the plans this year."

"Really? Did you trust him that? You know you'll be playing videogames and watch Star Trek all night, right?"

"Yeah, I do... But if this is what he wants to do I'll be happy just to be with him."

"Yeah... That's what love is about..." She rolled her eyes.

"Sure."

"AMY!"

"What?"

"You can't let him do that to you again! I remember last year at the train, you deserve a romantic Valentine's day!"

"But it was romantic in the end, he kissed me!"

"Yeah, but it's been a year ago, what do you expect, a crappy day with a simple kiss in the end?"

"Maybe..."

"I'm not taking that crap again! I'm gonna have a little talk with that guy!" Bernie stood up and left Amy alone in the lab.

* * *

"Sheldon, what an honor to have you having lunch with us for a change!"

"Howard, gentlemen." He nodded. "Amy is having lunch with Bernadette today and she dismissed my company." He sat quietly at the table with his friends.

"Bernie's here? She didn't tell me that! Why isn't she having lunch with me?"

"I don't know, Howard, maybe she prefers Amy's company to yours, as apparently Amy prefers hers over mine." Sheldon answered, his voice revealing a bit of grief he tried to hide.

They ate quietly at the table, when suddenly an ear-splitting voice startled them.

"So, _Mr. I-don't-do-romance_, I heard you're planning a crappy Valentine's day for Amy!"

Sheldon stared at her with wide eyes.

"W-What?"

She looked at Howard with lovely eyes and greeted him with a sweet voice. "Hello, Howie." Then she turned again to Sheldon.

"I'm not going to see you breaking her heart two years in a row, mister! You'd better have something romantic as hell to offer her this year or you'll have to face my wrath!"

Sheldon gulped, looking smaller than her.

"Yes, ma'am."

"You _heard_ me!" She turned to give Howard a quick peck on the lips and left the cafeteria.

* * *

Penny stopped at a Starbucks to get a cup of coffee and something quick to eat. She was still behind schedule, and she had to visit three more customers in the afternoon to compensate her delay. As she entered her car again, she turned the radio on, anxiously waiting for the result of the Katy Perry quiz she took that morning. She really wanted to win that trip, it was very romantic and Leonard would certainly love it, and the best part she would be able to take all her friends with her... And Emily. But she could make an effort if that would make Leonard happy.

**"And that was Black Eyed Peas with 'I gotta feeeeeeling' at MNAST! And tonight's gonna be a good night! Yeah, at least for the winner of our Katy Perry Quizzzz! Let's find out who were the two lucky bastards who will be in A-A-Aspeeeen for Valentine's Day! Tell us, Claudy, who are them?"**

"It's me! It's me! It's me!"

**"All right, Jeff! The winners are _buzzzzzzzzz bip blip buzzzz bzzzzzzzzzzz_..."**

"Nooooooooo! I can't believe it!" Penny turned off the radio and picked up her phone and dialed the station right away.

_"MNAST."_

"Hello, this is Penny speaking, I need to know the result of the Katy Perry quiz, there was interference in my radio just when they were announcing it!"

_"The winners are Audrey Mohoganny and Penelop-"_

"It's me! It's me! I can't believe I won it! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

_"Miss, please can you confirm your full name and phone number?"_

"Of course! Anything you need!"

* * *

After Bernadette left the cafeteria, the guys were stunned for a moment.

"What was that all about?" Raj asked. "Did you do anything wrong, Sheldon?"

"Not that I know! But apparently Bernadette underestimates my capacity of planning an adequate Valentine's day for Amy..."

"Really? That's _preposterous_!" Leonard exclaimed, with a little smirk on his face.

"Exactly! I have an IQ of 187! I'm perfectly capable of planning something as mundane as Valentine's Day!"

"Of course you are!" Leonard held a laugh and kept on eating.

"At least she's not mad at me!" Howard claimed.

"Speaking of Valentine's Day, I thought about something else to do with Emily."

Right at that moment, Leonard's phone started ringing.

"Excuse me guys, hold on a moment." He picked up his phone from his pocket, and saw it was Penny.

"Hey, Penny, what's up?"

"LEONARD! I WON!" He heard her yelling at the phone, automatically pulling it away from his ear. He slowly placed it back on his hear.

"Penny, what did you win?"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He pull it away again.

"Stop screaming, Penny, you're going to make me deaf!"

"Sorry, sweetie, it's just that I'm so excited!"

"Alright, won't tell me why?"

"I won a trip to Aspen for Valentine's Day! For eight! Can you believe it? IT'S AMAZING!"

"What, really? That's great!" He smiled at all the guys, who were looking at him, puzzled.

"I answered a quiz about Katy Perry and I won! Can you believe they asked silly stuff as her star sign? Who doesn't know she's a Scorpio?"

"Yeah, right, such an obvious question!"

"I'm going to the station before I go home to pick up the tickets! I'm so excited! I want everybody at 4A for dinner so we can discuss all the details for the trip! I'm so excited!"

"All right, I'll tell everyone, I'm sure they'll be there! Love ya, bye!"

Leonard put away the phone and had a big grin on his face.

"What happened dude, we're curious as hell here!"

"Penny won us all a trip to Aspen for Valentine's day!"

"Wow! That's so romantic! Emily will love it! It's even better than going skinny dipping in my building's swimming pool filled with rose petals!"

"Really? That was your plan?" Leonard looked at him with a scrunchy face.

"Amy and I are not going."

"Wha-wha-what? Why not?

"I have a full weekend planned for us, and there's no way we're going to indulge into a life-threatening activity such as skiing or snowboarding or freeze to death in a hotel in the middle of blizzards and avalanches!"

Everybody rolled their eyes, but soon enough they realize it would be great to be there without Sheldon.

"Oh, buddy, don't worry, you don't have to be there."

"Yeah, you would freeze to death, I don't want you to die... soon."

"Yeah, and Amy doesn't deserve romance anyway."

Sheldon looked at them with a wary face.

"Why are you suddenly trying to convince me not to go?"

"What? No!"

"Of course not! We really want you there"

"Yeah, we can't live without you."

"I knew it. You can't go there without me. I'm in. By the way, I saw you all rolling your eyes at me."

* * *

"Pizza's here!" Leonard arrived home, carrying a pile of boxes and placed them on the coffee table. Everybody was already there, except for Penny, and they were all excited, talking about the trip.

"Oh, Sheldon, I'm so glad you're excited about the trip."

"Of course I am, Amy, even though I already had great ROMANTIC plans for us." He replied, looking at Bernadette.

"Really? Were you planning something romantic?"

"Of course, Amy, you deserve that."

"I thought you hated romance."

"I do, but not with the woman I love." He smiled at her, giving a little squeeze at her hand.

"Ohhhh dude, that's so sweet!" Raj exclaimed, bringing Emily closer to him and gladly receiving a kiss on his cheek.

"Too bad we won't go skinny dipping anymore, I was really excited about that." She said to him, who gave her a lovely kiss on the lips in return.

At that moment the door opened, revealing a not so excited Penny.

"Hey guys."

"Are you ok, Penny?" Leonard stood up and walked towards her.

"Guys, you're gonna kill me." She looked at the gang, with a pouting face.

"What happened?"

"I thought I won a trip for 4 couples, but in fact they gave two trips for 2 couples each, and I was one of the winners, so I've got just 4 tickets."

"Oh, Bestie, it's ok, you're still going on the trip!"

"Yeah, but I wanted all of you guys with us, I don't want to choose."

"Maybe we could all go together, let's see if the hotel has rooms available and we can still go!"

"No, I have already done that. I called the hotel and they are fully booked, because there's a convention of something I didn't understand there and all the other hotels in town are also full. Sorry!"

"Well, no problem, just pick any of us and the others will understand." Amy said, receiving death ray glares from the other couples.

"Yeah, you say that because you're her best friend and she will obviously pick you!" Bernie answered.

"No, guys, please don't fight over that. I thought of a way we can make a fair choice. We can play a game and the winners got to go with us!"

"A game? But what kind of game? Which would be the rules to that? And how can we decide if there is a tie? And what if the winners are not a couple, like me and Raj? And what if-"

"Sheldon!" Penny interrupted. "I was thinking about drawing straws, but if you have a better idea we could try!"

"Drawing straws? Is that your great idea?"

She crossed her arms and stared at him. "What do you suggest so?"

Amy pinched him in the arm, so he wouldn't start it all over again. "Ouch!"

"Let's do that so, Bestie, is everybody in?"

Everybody nodded, and after rolling his eyes Sheldon nodded as well.

"Great, I already have the straws here! Let's have the boys pick them up."

She offered her hand with the straws to Howard, who picked one, followed by Raj and Sheldon. "Alright, let's compare the sticks!"

"Oh! I can't believe I won! It's going to be so romantic!" Raj kissed Emily, and Penny tried to hide her disappointment. _'Oh crap, not Emily!'_ she thought, she really didn't want to travel with her.

Everybody tried to hide their disappointment of not going on the trip, except for Sheldon. He was actually happy he would be able to put his original plan into action.

"Hey, Leonard, remember when I went on Valentine's Day with you to see the Hadron Collider at CERN? Isn't it amazing, we'll be repeating the experience!"

"Yeah, Raj, that will be great." He replied, not so excited.

At that Sheldon remembered that failure of a trip when he got sick because of Penny's germs.

"Yeah, apparently we have to thank Penny again for that!" He scoffed.

They all started eating, and before they left, Emily and Raj thanked Penny again for the trip.

"Thanks for the opportunity, Penny." Emily said.

"Yeah, I'll _love_ to travel with you!"

The couple left the apartment, and as they were approaching Raj's car, Emily turned to him and confessed.

"I don't want to go, Raj, not with _Penny_!"

"But Emily, Leonard and Penny are my friends, and we won! We just can't not go!"

"But Raj! I don't get along with _her_! I think she hates me!"

"She doesn't hate you, sweetheart! And it will be a great opportunity for you girls to get to know each other better!"

Emily looked at him, how could she not love that optimistic and sweet Indian? "All right, then, we're going."

* * *

At 4A, Sheldon was preparing two mugs of tea while Amy sat at the island, watching him work.

"So, Sheldon, what are your plans for our Valentine's day?"

"Oh, I can't tell you yet."

"Are you going to surprise me?" She asked, excited.

"Even though I hate surprises, it will be appropriated in this situation."

"Ohh Sheldon, I don't know what it is, but it's already romantic!"

"See? I'm perfectly able to plan a romantic day. Don't forget to tell Bernadette that."

* * *

"How could you _lose_ in 'Draw straws'?"

"Bernie, how could I know which would be the short one?" She looked at him and shoot a death stare.

"Keep driving, Howie, keep driving."

After a while of silence, he tried to speak again.

"Are you still mad at me for losing the trip? You know, I'm losing so much lately. I've just lost my mother." He looked at her with watery eyes.

"No, I'm not mad at you anymore. It's ok we didn't get to travel to Aspen... We can still be together at home. Will you cook for me?"

"Sure honey. I can prepare brisket, just like my mom used to make." And with that a tear dropped from his eye.

"Oh, Howie, forget it, I can do the cooking."

"No, that's not necessary, I can cook, my mom taught me." Now tears were dropping even more.

"Stop the car, Howie, let me drive."

"If you insist so." He stopped the car at the side of the street, exchanging places with Bernadette.

"Oh, my rocket man, don't worry, I'll take good care of you."

"Thanks, ma- Ma Bernadette!" And tears fell all over again.

* * *

Back at 4B, Penny was immersing herself again in a glass of wine.

"Penny, do you want to wake up again with a headache?"

"No, Leonard, but after tonight I really need it."

"Come on, it's not that bad to travel with Raj."

"Raj's not the problem, sweetie. Emily hates me!"

"No, she doesn't."

"Yes, she_ does_!"

"No, she doesn't!"

"Leonard! That girl hated me ever since we met! Now our romantic trip will be transformed into awkward silence and weird dinners together!

He grabbed her by her waist, placing her glass on the counter. "Relax, ok, don't forget I'm a romance ninja, I won't let anybody ruin our Valentine's day."

"Hmmm... Thanks, my hero!"

She kissed him while they walked towards her bedroom.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks a lot for reading, guys! I hope you enjoyed it, and well, let's see how Penny and Emily will get along in a trip together. What do you think Sheldon is preparing for Amy?

And sorry to add the sad part of Mrs. Wolowitz death, I just couldn't leave it off. Feel free to review if you like! I'll love to read your thoughts on this story!


	2. There, there

**Author's notes: **Thank you guys for the amazing reviews! You're the best!

Here's chapter 2. The trip will start in the next chapter.

By now, just a set up for what comes next. I hope you enjoy it!

I own nothing.

* * *

**Chapter 2 - There, there.**

The days went fast since Penny won the tickets. She didn't know whether she preferred the trip to be over soon or if she wanted it to be as far as possible, but the truth is that Leonard deserved a romantic Valentine's Day. They had been engaged for quite a long time already, and she didn't want him to believe she was not able to make a romantic gesture. So she decided to face this trip, even though she was pretty sure Emily would give her a hard time.

What also helped time to go faster was the fact that she had to visit more clients in order to make it for the Friday off she had to take for the trip. Their flight would be in two days, in the afternoon, which gave her the creeps when she realized it was a Friday 13th. It was not that she was that superstitious to believe it surely meant bad luck, but she knew she couldn't joke about those things, they might be true.

She had been waiting for almost an hour at the clinic of her last client of the day. She had already finished the celebrities crossword puzzle in a magazine she bought earlier. She also had finished reading all the articles and was checking the "what-not-to-dress" part for the second time, when she heard the receptionist call her name.

"Sorry to inform you that Dr. Rinard won't be able to receive you today. She had a sequence of late patients and she will have to leave now for a surgery in another place. She apologized for the inconvenience, but Dr. Lorvis informed that he would be glad to receive you in his office if you are available."

"Gee, tell him I'm sorry, I've just brought orthopedic samples with me today, not urology. Tell him I'll come back some other day to visit him. And could you schedule another day for my visit to Dr. Rinard?

"Of course. Let me check her agenda."

There was no way she would visit Dr. Lorvis more than once a month. It was already hard enough to face him after the incident in her building some months ago. She thanked the receptionist and left the clinic, walking towards her car. It'd been raining all day, and the weather was chilly and windy. She stopped at the sidewalk before crossing, searching for her car keys in her bag when suddenly a car passed by on a puddle of dirty water, spreading it all over, reaching Penny's legs.

"Son of a bitch! You ruined my shoes!" She yelled aimlessly, because the car was long gone. She tried to walk with her soaking wet shoes and dirty pants, feeling really angry that the shoes were now escaping her feet, making it take twice the time to reach her car. When she finally got there, she opened the trunk and threw her bag carelessly inside, not noticing that a strap was still around her arm. When she closed the trunk door, she couldn't remove her hand fast enough, just hearing the cracking sound of her finger against the door.

_'Really, life couldn't get any worse.'_ She thought, as she sat in the waiting room back at the same clinic, with ruined shoes and dirty pants, waiting for the X-ray. She reached her phone in her bag with her good hand and called Leonard.

"Hey Penny, what's up?"

"Leonard, I need you to drive me home. I think I broke my finger."

"Wha-wha-what? How did it happen? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, calm down sweetie, it was just an accident. But I had a really crappy day, I'll tell you more about it later, but by now could you come here?"

"Well, I need to drop Sheldon home, we're picking up Thai takeout and I'll be there right away."

After giving him directions, she heard her name being called and she entered the X-ray room. After arguing with the technician that there was no reason for her to remove her bra just to perform a scan of her hand she finally left and waited again to return with the doctor.

"Well, Penny, it's not that bad, you have a small fissure in the phalange of your middle finger. Are you left or right-handed?"

"I'm right-handed."

"Good. But we will have to immobilize it, so you will not be able to drive or carry things with your left hand for a while. This is nothing serious, you should be better in 5-6 days. Please return here next week and I examine it again, and remove the cast."

"A cast? But I'm traveling in two days, will I still be able to go?"

"Oh, are you driving?"

"No, I'm going by plane to Aspen."

"So there is no problem at all, just remember not to make any effort with this hand. The plaster will just be placed in your finger."

"Well, thank God it's not that bad."

Later that evening, Leonard and Penny stopped at her apartment to change her dirty clothes. When they arrived at the 4A, everybody was already there eating.

"Oh, finally! You were almost late for Halo! It starts in seventeen minutes." Sheldon observed just as they entered the room. Penny looked at him annoyed, lifting her hand and showing him her middle finger in a cast.

"Look, Sheldon!"

"Oh, did you break your middle finger?" He looked at her, oblivious to the impolite gesture.

"Yeah, I'm really glad to show you my injured middle finger." Then she turned to Leonard and whispered. "Well, it seems that everything has a good side after all."

They joined the gang and started eating, while she told them all about her misfortunate afternoon. It didn't take long for the subject change to the trip.

"Have you guys checked the weather for the weekend?" Raj asked.

"Not really, why?" Leonard answered.

"Well, apparently there's a small chance of blizzard in Aspen, on Saturday."

"Oh, no, I really wanted to go skiing!"

"Penny, you can't go skiing with an injured hand!" Bernadette observed.

"Oh, right, I haven't thought that through."

"Don't worry, Bestie, you're still going to have a romantic Valentine's Day at the hotel. There's a spa there, right?"

"Hell yeah! And that this finger can't stop me from doing!" She said, as she showed her finger to Amy. "Oops, sorry, sweetie."

"Excuse me! You showed me that finger, too! Why are you apologizing now and you haven't before?" Sheldon observed. "Amy, was she being rude to me and I didn't notice?"

"Well... No, Sheldon, she was just joking."

"Oooh! I'm sorry I haven't laughed at your joke, I missed the funny part of it." He replied, giving her his characteristic laugh.

When they finished eating Sheldon shoved the girls off the apartment to Penny's, emphasizing that they were already nine minutes behind schedule for Halo.

* * *

"The good part of hurting my finger is that I don't have to work tomorrow, so I can get ready earlier for the trip on Friday."Penny told the girls, taking another sip of her wine.

"And are you ok with traveling with Emily?" Bernie asked, knowing how they didn't get along so well.

"Yeah, I guess. I was worried that it would be awkward, but Leonard guaranteed that he wouldn't let that ruin our romantic Valentine's Day."

"Oh, that's so sweet!"

"And you, Amy, have you found out what Sheldon is preparing?"

"No, not yet, he won't say anything! Everytime I start questioning him about it he quickly changes the topic. I know he's bad at lying, so I'm trying not to push him."

"Yeah, he can't keep secrets, I wonder how he managed not to say anything for almost three weeks!"

"I know! I can't wait to see what he's planning."

"Oh, Amy, don't keep your expectations too high, it's Sheldon we're talking about. Even though I threatened him to do something good, we never know what's in that bat-crap-crazy mind of his."

"Well, I know I was not supposed to say anything, but Leonard told me he arrived home another night with a very suspicious bag from the drugstore."

"Really? Why did he think it was suspicious?"

"Because when he arrived home he dropped it on the floor, and just as Leonard leaned to help him he made a scandal and quickly picked it up himself, taking it to his bedroom."

"Weird." Amy paused, frowning her eyebrows.

"Yeah, even for Sheldon."

"Oh my God, Amy! Do you think he bought condoms?" Bernie asked with an excited high pitched voice.

"What? No, I'm pretty sure he's not quite there yet."

"Well, but you should at least be ready if something like that happens!"

"In fact, ever since he started kissing me on date nights I've always been ready for that. I've kept up with my waxing and I always have nice underwear every time we go on a date, just in case." she smiled, winking at her Bestie.

"Yeah, Amy, but are you psychologically ready for sex?"

Amy thought for a while before replying.

"Well, I guess I will never be totally ready, but I think he is even more scared than I am, so that helps in a way."

"Sure, and it's good that the two of you will have this first experience together."

* * *

Back at the 4A, Leonard and Sheldon were fighting because of the game, and Raj took that moment to talk to Howard, who had been quiet the whole evening.

"Are you ok, dude?"

"I'm fine." He replied, trying to sound convincing, which didn't work with his sensitive best friend.

"I'm sorry I'm leaving you alone on Valentine's Day. I know you're still in pain."

"You don't have to worry about me, I'm fine! And life goes on anyway, and it's not because I'll never get to see her again... nor eat her food... nor help her bathe, nor take her to the pilates class, nor-" he broke into sobs, which made Sheldon and Leonard stop fighting.

"You're ok, buddy?"

Sheldon immediately paused the game and stood up to make him a hot beverage. Leonard sat by his side, tapping his back, while Raj wrapped him in a warm hug.

"Dude, if it will make you feel better we should cancel this trip and stay here with you."

"Nonsense!" He cleaned his eyes with a tissue from the Rubik cube that Leonard quickly offered him. "It's your first Valentine's Day with Emily, you deserve it! And Leonard too, it's your first with Penny as an engaged couple."

"Yeah, and don't forget I'll be here." Sheldon answered, offering him a mug with hot tea.

"Thanks, Sheldon! That means a lot!" Howard looked at him.

"Leonard, you're in my spot."

"Oh, sorry, buddy." Leonard immediately stood up and moved to the armchair. As Sheldon sat on his spot, he suddenly felt arms around him and froze. Howard enlaced him in an embrace, crying on his shoulder.

"Uhm..." He looked at Leonard, still not moving and not knowing what to do. Leonard gave him and angry look, indicating with his head that he should comfort his friend.

He raised his left hand and patted Howard on his back. "There, there." With that, he felt him tighten the embrace. It didn't take much to Raj joining the embrace from behind, in a quite awkward position.

"Oh, what the hell." Leonard stood up and joined the collective hug, just before the door opened and the girls entered the room.

"Awwww!"

Penny smiled, watching the cute interaction between the four friends. Sheldon was desperate. He looked at Amy, mouthing 'help', but all she did was chuckle, shaking her head.

* * *

After everybody left the apartment, Sheldon and Amy were sitting at their spots drinking tea. She placed the mug on the coffee table, before turning her body a little to face him.

"Sheldon, as we are getting close to Valentine's Day, I guess it's time for you to tell me about the plans you've made."

"Very well." He took another sip from his tea, before placing his mug beside hers. "Although I am not able to reveal the whole thing, I can give you information enough for you to prepare."

"I'm all ears." She answered, excited to get to know anything.

"You need to pick me up at 10 am on Saturday."

"And...?"

"And what? That's all I can say."

"But Sheldon, what should I wear? How am I supposed to get ready with that information?"

"Oh, I thought you would guess just by the obvious hint I gave you that we are going out and it is in the morning."

"That I've got, but are we going somewhere fancy? Should I wear a dress?"

"Even though I never understood the reason for you girls to 'dress up', I believe a dress would be just fine."

"And what about Sunday?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about Sunday. I've got that all taken care of."

"But am I going to meet you somewhere?"

"No..."

"So, you're going to my apartment?"

"Not exactly..."

"Sheldon! You're going to need to tell me more."

"Alright! But you're ruining part of the surprise. If it turns out not to be as romantic as you expect be aware that it's your own fault."

"I take the responsibility. Now go on!"

"Hmm... I... Err... I-I bought you something."

"You mean a gift? Oh, Sheldon, you said we didn't have to exchange gifts!"

"It's not exactly a gift. I bought us matching pajamas."

"Aww Sheldon, that's so cute! But why are you telling me that?"

"Good Lord, woman, do I have to spell everything for you!" He shook his head in exasperation.

Amy stared at him, her forehead frowned, trying to decipher what he was trying to tell her. When suddenly something came to her mind._ 'No, it can't be that.'_ She took a deep breath and decided to ask anyway.

"Sheldon... Are you trying to tell me you want me to spend the night?" Her voice sounded so soft, almost a whisper.

He gulped, licking his lips nervously, and then he nodded. They didn't break eye contact. That was when Amy remembered what Penny told her earlier about the suspicious bag from the drugstore. Suddenly her breathing became erratic, her heart beating faster and she felt her hands sweating.

"Oh, no, Amy, you're having a panic attack!" He immediately stood up, helping her lie down on the couch, bringing the pillows under her head and her legs. Her skirt raised a bit with the position, and he couldn't help but take a quick glimpse of her thigh, before pulling it down. Amy shivered at the light touch of his hand on her leg, which made her heart beat even faster.

He sat by her side on the couch, taking her hand on his. He waited her breathing return to normal, before talking again.

"Amy." He slowly caressed her hand with his thumb. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes." She nodded, a smile forming on the corner of her mouth.

"Amy, why did you have a panic attack? I was the one supposed to be nervous, it's my plan after all."

She froze. She couldn't reveal that Penny told her about the condoms. "I-I don't know."

"Well, if you don't want to spend the night here I understand."

Her eyes popped out. "No! I do! I really do!" She sat up, still holding his hand. "I was just surprised, that's all."

"Of course, I told you it was a surprise!"

They laughed a little, both feeling more relaxed. He brought his free hand up to remove a strand of hair off her face. Her hair was a bit disheveled, but for him she looked beautiful as usual.

"I also have a surprise for you. It's in my bag."

He looked at her bag on his desk chair. "Let me get it for you." He quickly stood up and grabbed it, bringing it back to her and returning to his position. She opened the ziper and took a small box. "Open it."

"But it's not Valentine's Day yet."

"Oh, this is not a Valentine's gift. I wanted to give it to you today."

She handed him the small box, which he happily accepted, untying the lace around it, and when he opened the lid his eyes lit up. "Meemaw cookies? You baked them again?"

"Yes. I know how much you liked them, so I decided to make a few more."

He instantly took one and started chewing it, closing his eyes to savour the amazing taste of his Meemaw's hugs. He closed the box, saving the rest for later, placing it on the coffee table.

"Thank you, Amy. I love you."

"I love you too."

He leaned his head towards hers, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

_'Next time I'll ask Bernie to give me a pound of that sugar.'_ She thought.

* * *

**A/N:** So, next chapter is "Friday 13". I just have one thing to say: Poor Penny.

Your reviews will be really appreciated!


	3. Joining puzzle pieces

**Author's notes:** First if all, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed this story so far, and also the ones who are following it! It's great to see what you're thinking about it!

I apologize for the delay of this chapter. According to the challenge, I was meant to have this story finished by yesterday, and that so didn't happen... I'm in the middle of a long trip, without a computer, so I worked in my mobile and than it was too hard for me. I'm not a fast typer in the mobile keyboard, I had a bad time checking for spelling and mistakes, so this is all I could have done in the last month.

Well, enough with my bla bla bla, let's move to the chapter. I just would like to warn you that there's some angst bellow, but nothing that will break people apart.

I hope you like it.

As usual, I own nothing.

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Joining puzzle pieces**

It was Friday afternoon, when Amy knocked on Sheldon's office. After hearing he say 'come in', she slowly opened it, and saw Sheldon quickly erasing the board.

"Hello, Sheldon. Are you still finishing work?"

"Hello, Amy. No, it was nothing important." He greeted her, putting the tips back on the markers and organizing his board.

"So, are you ready to leave now?"

"Oh, yes! Let's go." He replied. He spent half of the afternoon thinking about all the variables involved in Amy spending the night at his apartment. His original plan was to have a sleepover just on Saturday evening, but after Leonard told him that they would be traveling that afternoon, he asked Amy about changing their plans. He hoped that everything would be fine and then they could repeat the experience on Saturday as well. His biggest concern was about not being able to sleep. He was worried that Amy would be a big distraction, disrupting his REM cycle. But he already had a solution for that though.

After closing his office, Amy and Sheldon walked to her car in the parking lot. She was really excited about spending the night for the first time at her boyfriend's. At the previous night, while she was preparing her bag, she couldn't decide on which undergarments she would take with her. She searched for the perfect ones in her drawer, opting for a pair of light blue lacy ones she had recently purchased at Victoria's Secret with Penny. She wasn't really sure about which were her boyfriend's plans for the night. Maybe he just didn't want to be lonely because Leonard would be traveling.

And as she stopped at a traffic light she looked to her right and saw him staring at the window.

"Sheldon, are you sure you want me to spend the night?"

"Of course, why do you ask?"

"Because you seem to be nervous about it."

It was then when he noticed he was holding his bag too tightly against his chest. He released the strap, letting the bag fall loose on his lap.

"I... I'm just a bit anxious, that's all. Why, aren't you?"

"Of course. It's our first experience sleeping in the same bed together." She noticed him grabbing the bag strap again. She didn't need to make him even more nervous so she quickly changed the subject.

"And what about tomorrow? Aren't you going to tell me what we will be doing before we have lunch at Bernie and Howie's?"

She saw him relax a bit. His hands returned to his lap, a little smile forming in the corner of his mouth.

"Amy! I told you it's a secret, I can't tell you!"

"Wow. I never saw you keeping a secret for such a long time! You're full of surprises, Dr. Cooper."

"Did you expect any less from an extraordinary person like me?"

"No, not at all..." She rolled her eyes.

"Hey! I saw that, little lady!" He frowned for an instant, but he couldn't pretend he was mad at her. After a few seconds he laughed, nudging her on her arm.

Later they were close to his apartment building, and Amy decided to bring up the topic again. That thought was making her feel extremely anxious, she didn't want to be disappointed because she had the wrong idea.

"Sheldon, is the reason you asked me to spend the night that Leonard is out and you didn't want to be alone?"

He bit his lip, thinking a bit before answering.

"Exactly! I didn't want Leonard in the apartment, I wanted it to be just the two of us."

She blushed. She didn't expect him to say he wanted them to be alone. She was really trying to keep her expectations low, but his actions were making it too hard._ 'If I knew those Meemaw cookies would work so well I would have asked for the recipe years ago! Good thing Bernie will give me some more of that blessed sugar tomorrow.'_ She thought as she parked the car.

* * *

"So romantic! We're going to our second Valentine's day in the snow!"

"Raj, can you stop reminding me of that trip to CERN?"

"I don't now why you didn't like it. It was great when we had champagne in bed."

"Did you guys share a bed?" Emily eyed them, but not so surprised, after all the stories she had already heard about Raj and Howard including couple's therapy and sleeping naked together in the North Pole.

"That's not what you're thinking, the bed was meant originally for me and Penny. And so did the champagne, by the way."

"Yeah, but I got sick and he took Raj as his valentine." Penny replied, chuckling, which made Emily laugh as well. _'Well, she's not that bad.'_ She thought. During the last week Penny had been thinking about all that could go wrong between Emily and her. She would definitely avoid all topics that could lead to that drunken night she and Raj spent together. And that was a lot to avoid. She even read some magazines about dermatology, they could talk about the medicine she could offer her from the lab, and she knew a thing or two about tattoos, so that would make enough small talk between them, as long as they didn't talk too much.

"Well, I need to pee before getting into the plane, be right back." Penny was about to stand up, when Emily stood up as well.

"I need too, I'm coming with you."

_'Oh crap, why?'_ She thought. If she used all the topics she had been working on, there wouldn't be enough for the whole trip.

The blonde and the redhead walked side by side towards the restroom. Penny thought she had never walked that much to reach one. _'And now, should I say anything? Or is it better if we just walk in silence?'_ She looked at Emily, who just gave her a quick smile, and kept walking. _'Awkward silence it is.'_ She thought, after offering her a smile in return.

During the endless way, Penny imagined several weird conversations between them. Weather, speculations about the hotel, funny facts about dermatology (funny at least according to the magazines she read), stories about when Raj couldn't speak to women without being drunk (dangerous territory, but could work as a last option), milestones in the Shamy relationship (not much to say, maybe for a 5-minute talk). But when she tried to start a conversation, her mind went blank and she said nothing. _'Damn, this is hard!'._

They finally managed to get to the restroom, and Penny was relieved both for peeing and for being away from Emily for like 3 minutes. While she checked herself in the mirror she noticed that the redhead was already outside waiting for her. _'Wow, that woman is quick!'_ She fixed her lipstick before joining Emily for their epic return. _'It's like Frodo and Sam's journey to Mordor.'_ She thought, seconds before she noticed how nerdy she was becoming. _'Damn it, I'm turning into Leonard!'_

"So, Penny, have you and Leonard already started planning the wedding?"

The blonde stared at her, surprised. She didn't think Emily could start a conversation with her. Maybe if the dermatologist also had a few topics in her mind they could avoid the uncomfortable silence between them.

"Penny?"

"Oh, sorry!" She blushed as she realized she had forgotten to answer the question. "Not much, we need to figure out first a way to Leonard move out from his and Sheldon's apartment. When we get that we can set a date and decide about the rest of the stuff."

"Good." Emily nodded, but didn't add anything else. _'Yep, as I thought, awkward silence.'_

Their walk back to the guys didn't take as much as she thought, but as they got closer they could hear that the guys were arguing.

"Hey! What the hell is going on here?"

The two friends stopped yelling at each other and stared at their women like two boys being caught doing something wrong. They both spoke at the same time.

"He started." They pointed to each other.

"That's ridiculous, what are you, five-year olds?"

Emily chuckled. She was starting to find Penny funny.

* * *

"Hey, baby, are you hungry? Do you miss Daddy? Don't worry, he'll be back soon! At least you still have a parent to look after you." A tear dropped from Howard's eye, as he hugged Cinnamon close.

Bernadette watched her husband from the kitchen, as he cried for the second time that morning. She thought it would be a good idea to ask Raj to leave Cinnamon with them for the weekend. It was supposed to be a distraction for her tiny man, but apparently it was not working as she expected. It was like the space travel all over again, but weepy and heartbreaking. She didn't know what else to do. She was being supportive as much as she could, doing everything for him, including cooking and preparing relaxing baths. But until when? Instead of overcoming his mother's death, it seemed that he was getting worse.

She was almost finishing dinner, and she thought asking for his help could distract him.

"Howie, dear, can you prepare the table? Dinner's almost ready."

"Sure, honey."

He placed the dog in her buggy with her Teddy and walked to the sink to wash his hands.

"I'm glad Raj trusted us again to babysit Cinnamon, after we lost her that other time."

"Yeah, you're his best friend after all." Not to mention she threatened him.

"I know! He finally saw reason! Can you believe he asked Sheldon first?"

"Yeah, right, like he would accept to take care of a dog!" She threatened him too.

"That's what I said! And by the way, did you decide on what to cook for lunch tomorrow?"

"I don't know, I was thinking about roasted chicken."

"Chicken? But I thought you would make brisket!"

"Ok. I can make brisket." She took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn't cry over brisket again.

"You know, your brisket is quite as good as my-"

"Howie! If you start talking about your mother again forget about the brisket!" She yelled at him, but scolding herself for losing her temper with him. _'I'm a horrible wife!'_ She thought.

"Sorry if mourning the most important person from my whole life is bothering you."

"Howie, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you like that. He looked up to her, still feeling hurt. "That's OK, my mom used to yell at me all the time and it hadn't made me love her any less."

"Oh, Howie, I'm really sorry, I love you so much!" She hugged him, planting little kisses along his jaw line. They lay together on the sofa for a moment, until he relaxed a bit more.

Then she finished dinner while he placed the dishes on the table. When he opened the cabinet to get the salt and pepper, he noticed a small paper bag next to it. He picked it up and turned to Bernie.

"What's in this bag?"

"Oh, this is sugar for Amy."

"Why? Is she going to be our new neighbor and come ask for sugar?"

She laughed at his joke. His mood had certainly improved.

"Don't be silly. It's for a little experiment of my own."

"What kind of experiment?"

"Let's just say that a lanky physicist is being fed with lots of sugar and love... And this sugar is just a placebo to give Amy more confidence."

"I noticed how glued to her he's been lately... "

"Yep, at his own will! Isn't this exciting?" She spoke in such a high pitch tone that Cinnamon hauled along.

* * *

"In a world where plastic bags are made of coconut fiber, which movie makes no sense?"

"Cast away."

"Defend."

"Seriously, Sheldon? That's too obvious. Are you so anxious that you can't even think of challenging questions?"

"My apologies."

"That's OK." At that point they reached the fourth floor, and shakily Sheldon tried to insert the key in the lock.

"Let me help you with that." She firmly placed her hand over his, making him feel more confident and he quickly opened the door.

He placed her overnight bag by the couch and offered her tea.

"Peppermint, please."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't you prefer chamomile?"

"Nope, not today." She smiled at him, winking.

_'Dear Lord, that Vixen won't let me sleep at all!'_ He thought, as he started to prepare their tea.

"Sheldon, would you mind if I change into something more comfortable?"

"Oh! Wait here!" He ran through the hall towards his bedroom, returning seconds later with a bag in hand.

"This is for you, your respective counterpart of our matching pajamas. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, I was really excited when I found them in the online shop!"

"Thank you, Sheldon! I'm sure I'm going to like it, our taste is so similar!"

"I know! You can get changed in my room. I have mine too here, I'll go change in the bathroom."

Who needs tea? Amy walked fast with her bag to his bedroom, and Sheldon did the same with his own, closing the bathroom door after he stepped inside.

Amy squeaked in excitement as she closed the door. She was alone in her boyfriend's bedroom! She sat on his bed, feeling the softness of the comforter, leaning close to his pillow and feeling his unique scent. She wished he would really let her share the bed with him that night. She started undressing, folding her clothes as she removed each item. Suddenly she heard Sheldon's voice coming from the other side of the wall._ 'Is that Taylor Swift?'_ She chuckled, glad that he was in a better mood.

She opened the bag and held the pajama top at her sight.

"A puzzle piece? I'm puzzled!" She laughed at her own pun, putting on the pajamas. It fitted perfectly, she was surprised of how well Sheldon knew her size. Penny always complained that Leonard never bought clothes right for her. She was checking herself in the mirror, when she noticed in the reflection a small paper bag on his dresser. She instantly remembered the bag Penny told her about, and curiosity took charge of her and she carefully opened the bag. She frowned her forehead, trying to understand why in the world Sheldon would have bought that.

*knock knock knock* "Amy in matching pajamas!"

*knock knock knock* "Amy in matching pajamas!"

*knock knock knock* "Amy in matching pajamas!"

"Come in, Sheldon."

He opened the door in a wide movement, getting inside his bedroom and showing off his pajamas.

Amy was still confused, and when she noticed the figure in his pajama top she started to get really mad.

"Really, Sheldon? Care to explain this? And this? What the hell were you thinking?"

"Amy! Language! And explain what, didn't you like the pajamas? The medicine is just in case something goes out of the expected tonight, but I warn you it will be your fault." He smiled at her, his little vixen.

Amy was mad, but after hearing those words she got furious. "How dare you say something like that to me!" She barked at him, making him jump, scared of her reaction.

"Amy! I don't understand why you're so mad! What did I do wrong?"

A tear dropped from her eye, which she cleaned instantly. How could he not realize how wrong was all of it? She took a deep breath.

"I'll make it clear to you. I REFUSE to have unprotected sex with you in my first time, and even if THAT happened and I got pregnant it wouldn't be only MY FAULT. But that wouldn't even happen, right, as you have already bought the 'day after pill', that I advise you is not an effective birth control method and has lots of side effects. And to make the message clearer, no, I didn't like the matching pajamas with the sex innuendo!" She threw the bag at him and took out her pajama top, feeling a mixture of disappointment, anger and sadness. She opened the door, not being able to look at her boyfriend, and walked out to the living room just in her bra and pants.

Sheldon heard all her words in shock. He didn't understand how she could get to having unprotected sex from sleeping pills, what was she thinking, that he was some sort of a pervert? That he would drug her and force his way with her? How creepy was that?

He grabbed the bag from the floor and picked up the contents from the inside, when he noticed something was wrong. Instead of sleeping pills, he found a pregnancy test and a day after pill. It took just one second for him to connect the dots.

"Amy! Come back! This bag is not mine!"

When he arrived in the living room, he saw her crying, sitting on the couch in her spot, searching for her clothes in her overnight bag. He sat beside her, pulling her to him in an embrace.

"Amy, please, listen to me, it was all a misunderstanding!"

"Oh, really? So, who was the pregnancy test for?"

"I have no idea, I didn't buy it! Neither the pill! When I was at the drugstore an awful lady bumped into me next to the exit door, and our bags fell. She didn't even apologize! So rude! She just picked up her bag from the floor and left, and as I just noticed now she grabbed the wrong one."

"So you didn't want to have unprotected sex?"

"Amy! Of course not, how could you even think that about me! Now could you please put you pajama top back on?"

"Oh, OK." She suddenly became aware of the fact that he was holding her in nothing more than her bra. She slowly disentangled from his arms, just now feeling his soft hands on her bare skin. He shyly tried not to look at her breasts as she stood up and walked back to his bedroom.

When she returned to the living room and sat back in her spot, he stared at the figure on her chest and finally got the innuendo.

"Oh no, Amy, I'm so sorry, I didn't notice the meaning of the puzzle pieces when I bought it. I can return it if you prefer."

"No, that won't be necessary, Sheldon. Let's think of it as it meaning we're meant to be together, not 'A fits slot B'.

"That's what I thought! I guess we're really meant for each other." He took her hand in his and gave her a peck on her cheek. "I love you, Amy."

"I love you too."

"I think I would like that tea now, what about you?"

"Yes, please."

They both stood up and walked towards the kitchen island, as Sheldon heated the kettle again.

"So, Sheldon, what did you originally buy at the drugstore?"

He froze, as he picked up the mugs in the cabinet.

"Uhm."

"Did you buy condoms?"

"No! I mean, not this time." He blushed so hard that his neck was red as pepper.

"Why, did you buy them before?"

"Yes, but it was just as a precaution, you know I like to be prepared for all occasions, like a zombie apocalypse, earthquakes-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know it all. What did you buy this time?"

"Sleeping pills."

Amy turned to him, confused. "Are you having trouble for sleeping?"

"No, it's just a precaution as well, in case I get too distracted tonight. I don't want to be in a bad mood tomorrow, I owe you a romantic Valentine's day..."

She stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his arm. "And what would cause such distraction?"

He gulped as he sensed the warmth of her hand on him._ 'Vixen_.' Instead of answering, he just placed his hands on her hips and pulled her close for a kiss. They had been kissing regularly lately, but that one was different, stronger, but still delicate. Longer, but sweet.

They broke the kiss, startled by the whistle of the kettle, reminding them why they were in the kitchen.

* * *

The flight to Aspen was smooth and calm.

"I hope we won't have any blizzards this weekend!"

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to go skiing! The last time I went skiing I was still a teenager!"

"You will have to teach me, though."

"It will be my pleasure." Emily answered, kissing him. Raj was really excited about his first Valentine's day with a girlfriend.

In front of them Penny and Leonard weren't so lovey dovey, but they were doing something Penny loved: gossiping.

"Amy told me she would take a nice pair of Victoria's Secret underwear if things between them spice up!"

"I don't see Sheldon caring much about lingerie, but maybe he does care about Amy in it."

"Why, did he ever mention anything?"

"Not really, but if he considers 'I hope you have a nice day' sexting, I guess Amy in lingerie might kill him."

"Poor boy, so clueless!"

After the plane landed, the two couples took a cab to the hotel, arriving there in thirty minutes.

"I told you, no blizzards!" Raj exclaimed, happy for everything being so great so far.

"Oh, don't be so optimistic, the weather forecast said things might change tonight." The taxi driver replied, to Raj's disappointment.

"Why are you spoiling the fun?"

"Raj, don't be rude! Thanks for informing us, sir."

"No problem, madam."

The taxi dropped them at the hotel, and they were marveled by its size and beauty.

"This place is a dream!"

"Yeah, really beautiful!" Emily agreed, kissing him, as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

The two couples checked in, but as they looked around the reception area, they noticed a lot of people who looked funny.

"Look, Leonard, I think there's some sort of event happening here. These guys are wearing funny mustaches."

"I'm sorry, you're saying?"

"I said that there's probably some sort of event-"

"No, I missed the last part."

"Oh, these guys are wearing the funniest mustaches!"

"Mustaches!"

"Really, Leonard? Making fun of me again because of my accent?"

"Hey, guys, what's going on?"

"I was telling Leonard about these funny mustaches but he-"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"The funny musta-" that was when he noticed Penny was mocking him too. "Go to hell you two!"

Penny hugged Leonard, they both cracking up at their joke. It was when Emily approached them.

"Hey, did you guys see that there is a convention at the hotel called MusCom?"

"Yeah, look at all those guys with funny 'mustaches'!

"You guys are unbelievable! You won't give me a break the whole weekend, will you?"

"I don't get it, Raj, make fun of what?"

"They think I speak funny."

"Speak what funny?" Emily asked, puzzled.

"Mustache- oh, stop laughing at me!"

Penny and Leonard were laughing so hard that made Raj really upset.

"You think you're better than me? You know, Leonard, there are lots of things I can do better!" He said, with hurt in his voice. "I can name all stars and planets in our universe and draw a map just from my memory!"

"But still can't speak mustache!"

"But I can drink milk and eat dairy! Can you do that? Isn't it so funny to laugh at other people's inabilities? So I have a list for you! I can walk up the stairs without losing my breath, and I can kiss girls for hours without using an inhaler!" With that, he pulled Penny to him and kissed her. Penny pushed him, she couldn't believe Raj would do that in front of Emily. Leonard got really mad at Raj, and just as Penny pushed him, he grabbed Emily and kissed her as well.

"No need of inhaler for that!" He yelled, as they broke the kiss, just to be punched in the eye by Emily.

"Ouch!"

"I'm sorry, Leonard, but no one kisses me against my will!"

Penny held him, who was wincing with his hand on his eye.

"What's wrong with you guys? I know how much you like proving things but kissing your friend's girl is off limits!"

"I'm with Penny, you guys go crazy sometimes!" Penny looked at Emily, surprised of hearing her agreeing with her.

"Why, thank you!"

Emily looked at her, a bit confused for why she was thanking her, so she just smiled.

"Leonard, I'm really sorry for punching you, it was a reflex. Let me take care of your eye." She held his arm, guiding him to a couch next to them.

Penny watched them as they sat, her hand on his face having a close look at his eye. _'Too close_', she thought.

"And you, Indian guy, next time you try to kiss me you'll get a black eye as well!"

"Sorry, Penny!"

* * *

Sheldon yawned in his spot, and Amy turned her face to him.

"Shall we go to bed?"

"Yeah, I think that's appropriated." He turned the TV off and they both stood up and walked towards the bedroom.

"Would you like to use the bathroom first?" He asked.

_'Wow, he's been such a gentleman today!'_ She thought.

"Yes, please." She smiled at him as she grabbed her toiletries case from her bag. She was so happy that she didn't even remember having brushed her teeth when she returned, as Sheldon passed her by to his turn in getting ready for bed.

"Which side do you prefer?" He asked her before leaving.

Amy looked at the bed, and it really didn't make any difference for her, so she chose the left side, as she was already there. He nodded in agreement and left.

She admired the covers he neatly had prepared for them, folded to a position they could easily get under. She also noticed he had fluffed the pillows, and that there was a glass of milk on each bedside table._ 'How thoughtful of him!'_ She smiled, feeling like the luckiest woman in the world for having the best boyfriend.

She lay on the bed under the warm covers, immersed in a mixture of scents of baby powder and softener. She took a deep breath, feeling so comfortable and safe there. When he returned, she was almost sleeping.

"Did I take too long? I needed to double check everything in the apartment, so it took a while."

"That's OK. I'm glad for having such a caring boyfriend."

He smiled at her, as he lay beside her. They were both lying on their backs, staring at the ceiling.

"Amy, are you sleeping?"

"No, not yet, why?"

"I can't sleep."

"Do you want me to sing for you, maybe Taylor Swift?"

He froze. "Why are you suggesting that?"

"Well, I heard you singing in the bathroom earlier, and you seem to be enjoying it so much!" She said, trying not to laugh.

"You heard me? Was I that loud?"

"Oh, don't be shy, you have such a beautiful voice!"

"I know! But now I wonder if Leonard can also hear me singing when I'm in the bathroom."

"It was not that loud... Maybe he can't hear from his bedroom."

"Maybe."

They kept in silence for a while, when Sheldon started speaking again.

"Amy?"

"What?" She replied with a sleepy voice.

"I was wondering if you would mind switching places with me. I think I will be more comfortable in the other side."

It was all to good to be true. She was wondering when he would ask her to move to the sofa because he couldn't sleep. "Oh, Sheldon, but it's so cold and I'm already warm here. I don't want to stand up."

"But you don't have to stand up, you can move over me still under the covers, then I'll just slide under you to the other side. See, simple!"

"Ok."

She turned to her side, facing him, as he started moving towards her side.

"Err, Sheldon, is it better if I move over you facing you or with my back to you?"

"I guess facing me you will get a better support with your arms."

"Right." She slowly placed her right arm on his right side, and started moving her leg as well, when accidentally her knee bumped lightly on his groin.

"Hey! Be careful!"

"I'm so sorry, Sheldon!" Amy apologized, staring at his eyes. Then she turned her head and mumbled 'if only it was my hand.'

It was when she felt his hand on her waist, just before he tickled her. "I heard that, little lady!"

She completely lost the strength in her arm and fell on top of him, they both laughing. She cheerfully gave him a peck on his lips, which he returned, deepening the kiss and wrapping his arms around her. As things started to heat up, he thought it was a bad idea to have her on top of him like that. _'Things are getting way out of hand!'_

He broke the kiss, staring at her beautiful eyes, as he struggled to remove her from him.

"Aham. Chop, chop, little lady, moving to your new side now! Stop distracting me, I need my REM sleep!" He said in a serious tone, but the smirk in his face betrayed him.

"Sure, Dr. Cooper." She made a serious face, as she finally moved to the right side of the bed.

They were again lying on their backs, staring at the ceiling, but now with a silly smile on their faces.

"Amy?" He asked, after a period of silence.

"Yes?"

"Are you comfortable?"

"I guess, why?"

"Because I think I like the right side of the bed better."

"Sheldon! Do you want me to move again?"

"Yes. Thank you."

She rolled her eyes. _'I can't believe he asked me to switch places again! And I was thinking he was such a gentleman today, what a fool-'_ Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Sheldon pulling her close to him as she moved above him, bringing his mouth to hers in a passionate kiss. Soon his hands started wandering all over her back, accidentally brushing her buttocks, while her hands gripped firmly on his biceps. She became braver and started suckling his lower lip, which he mimicked moments later, both of them lost in each other's arms.

* * *

**A/N:** I was just wondering if I change the rating for the next chapter... What do you think?

*wink*

Thanks in advance for your reviews.


	4. The macho display

**Chapter 4 - The macho display**

**Author's notes:** Guys, I'm really sorry for the delay in finishing this story. I was suffering from author's block. Even though I had this whole chapter planned, I couldn't find a way to sit and write it down. But I finally made it. I hope you enjoy it, though, and I'd love to hear your comments. There is one last chapter (or two more, I might break it if it gets too long), I'll try to finish it soon.

And please note the **change of rating to 'M'.** You've been warned!

I own nothing.

* * *

"I'd like to order two Caesar salads, one without parmesan cheese, please. Oh, and how do I get the free wine? Great! Thanks!"

After hanging up the phone, Penny decided the best thing to do was take a hot shower while she waited for Leonard. He followed Emily and Raj to their room, so she could get him the medicine she had in her bag, but Penny was too upset with Leonard to go with them. She excused herself saying she would unpack and order dinner, and went straight to her and Leonard's room, which was 2 floors above. Opening her bag, she found the nightgown she bought especially to romance her boyfriend's pants off, but she definitely was not in the mood that night. Instead she just grabbed a t-shirt and pants, heading to the bathroom to take a quick shower. She had to do it fast because room service would arrive soon, and luckily Leonard as well.

She felt relaxed and warm after she put on her t-shirt and pants, waiting for the food and especially the wine to arrive. She propped her elbows on the window sill, watching the snow falling softly on the ground outside. She was lost in thoughts when she was startled by a knock on the door.

"Leonard, did you forget your-?" She said as she opened the door, but stopped as she noticed that it was dinner. "Sorry, sir, please come in."

The guy carried the tray to the table, carefully setting the plates and cutlery for two, together with a rose in a thin crystal vase and a candle on a holder. "May I light the candle now, ma'am?"

"No, thanks, I'll wait for my fiancé."

"And would you like me to open the wine or do you prefer that I leave the corkscrew?"

"_That_ you can do!"

He dextrously opened the bottle, pouring the red liquid in her glass. She tipped him before he left, and sat on the chair by the window sipping her drink, watching the snow as she waited for Leonard to return.

Two floors below, Leonard was still in the other couple's room, having a blast. On the way to the room, the trio met a few guys who were distributing fake mustaches to the guests in the hotel. While Emily unpacked and searched for the medicine for his eye, Leonard and Raj took turns taking pictures trying on the weird facial hair.

"Look, this looks like the one Howard let grow a few years ago."

"Oh, I remember that, he called it 'the Clooney'!" Raj laughed, as he placed it on Leonard's face.

Emily watched amazed the two friends having fun, as if nothing had happened before. It was a good thing, she thought, so she chose to take a shower and let them play for a while before taking care of Leonard's eye. Maybe she would order that free wine later.

In the other room, Penny was already in her third glass of wine. She decided she wouldn't wait for Leonard anymore to eat, as the food had arrived more than thirty minutes ago and she was hungry. She lazily grabbed the plate and sat on the bed, covering herself and turning the TV on, watching a movie she was not really interested in. She ate quickly, just then realizing how hungry she was, and as she stood again and placed the plate back on the table, she grabbed the bottle and drank the rest of the wine from it. On the way back to bed, she noticed that it was snowing hard outside.

"Damn, that taxi driver was right about the blizzard tonight."

* * *

Amy woke up feeling too warm. She felt her long-sleeved pajama sticking to her body, sensing her back and her chest were coated in sweat. She slowly opened her eyes, getting used to the darkness of the room, at first not recognizing where she was. When she identified glowing-in-the-dark figures on the ceiling, she realized she was in Sheldon's room. She thought about pulling out the blanket covering her, but just when she was about to move her hand, she felt another on top of hers. For a moment, she smiled, thinking the warmth she felt came from Sheldon's great hand, but suddenly something moved underneath. And that was much, much warmer.

The realization of the "occurrence" scared her to death. How come did _that_ happen? She stopped her attempt in removing her hand, conflicted about what to do next. The mere thought of waking Sheldon up sent shivers to her spine. He would _definitely_ freak out. It was all going so well the night before. He purposely started a make out session with her in bed, and she was more than happy for that. They kissed for a while, their bodies touching, as he kept her firm on top of him with a tight hug. But that rigid position didn't last long. When she thought he would let go of her, he slowly moved his hands up on her back, touching her hair so slightly she wouldn't even have noticed if he hadn't broken the kiss to mention how soft her hair was. He kissed her again, continuing to explore her back with his hands, moving timidly to her buttocks and back to her hair for a while, when she bravely grabbed his wrist, guiding it to a place she knew he wanted to touch, but probably was too much of a gentleman to try. And with that he finally found second base. Over her pajama top, obviously, but she was definitely glad for their progress in the intimacy area.

She came back to reality, though, still not knowing what to do. Maybe she should just go back to sleep, and see what would happen in the morning. Yep! Problem solved. She closed her eyes again.

"Amy, are you awake?"

Her eyes popped open as she turned her head to him. She gulped, her throat dry, trying to find her voice to answer him. "Yes."

Her heart was beating so fast she thought she would have a heart attack. Why was he so quiet? Gathering the few bits of courage left, she continued. "How long have you been awake?"

"For thirty-three minutes."

He stared at her, although in the darkness and without her glasses she couldn't figure out the expression on his face. Was he horrified? Was he mad? Did he notice that at all? That's stupid, he obviously did, there was no way that he was awake for over thirty minutes and had not perceived _that_. But if so, why hadn't he tried to remove her hand? Good question.

"Sheldon, how did _this_ happen?"

"I... I don't know." There was a pause, when she heard him taking a deep breath. Then he continued. "When I woke up I was spooning you, then I tried to move my arm and lay on my back, because it was tingling. But as you turned to lie on your back your hand slipped from your hip and..."

"And...?" She was breathing fast, still terrified by how calm he sounded as he described the whole scene.

"And... Well... When I placed my hand on top of yours to try to remove it you gripped me harder." He gulped again, licking his lip as he suddenly felt his mouth dry. "Then I didn't want to remove it anymore."

She could swear she saw him blushing, but it was too dark to say so. Just when she would try to say something she felt him twitch under her hand again, and the heat was only increasing.

"Now I've got a situation here... I-I don't know how to proceed."

She couldn't believe he would express it outloud. So... He liked it, right? And he was probably not mad at her... Instead he was aroused. 'Interesting,' she thought.

"I don't know either. But maybe you could show me what I could do... To fix this situation."

"But... I guess... I think... I mean, Amy, it will be messy... And probably won't take long."

"What if you put on a condom?"

She felt him grip her hand harder, and he gave her a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Amy, you're brilliant."

* * *

"Good morning!"

"Good morning, my Valentine! How long have you been awake?"

"I woke up an hour ago. I ordered us breakfast. Is it ok or do you prefer to join Penny and Leonard?"

"Hmm... Breakfast in bed with my girlfriend or sharing a meal with friends I get to see everyday. Hmm... Tough one..." Raj made a serious face, pondering the options he had. He didn't see Emily jumping from the chair to bed, tickling him and covering his neck with kisses. Among laughs and kisses, he managed a way to voice his decision. "I... I guess... I'd rather... have... breakfast in bed... with Emily for desert!"

* * *

Penny ate quietly sitting at a table on the corner of the breakfast area. She took another bite of her pancakes, lazily chewing it, while brooding over how careless Leonard had been since they arrived at the hotel. First he pulled Emily for a kiss. Even if it was just to prove a point, Penny really hated to see him kissing someone else. It brought back thoughts of when he dated Priya and how miserable she felt seeing them together. It was nothing like that, she knew it, but after seeing Emily touching his face, taking a close look at his black eye, her fingers on his cheek, it ignited all the Nebraskan fury inside of her. And to make it worse, she fell asleep and he hadn't returned from her room... She wondered what took him so long just to find an ointment to his eye... If only she could have brought one in her bag, she had a few samples with her the week before. Crap! Why did everything seem to go wrong in this trip?

She took a large sip of her coffee, trying to get rid of her hangover. Did she make the right decision in leaving Leonard alone sleeping? She didn't even see when he arrived, she had probably dozed off early because of the wine. He was sleeping on his side, with his back turned to her. Probably out of shame, he should know that leaving his fiancée alone in a hotel room was nothing to be proud of. So she tip toed to the bathroom to get ready. She saw the food untouched and the candle on the table still to be lit. She pouted, giving him one last look and left the room, closing the door slowly.

She stood up to grab another cup of coffee, when she noticed that the area, almost empty when she arrived, now was full with those guys with weird mustaches. She couldn't see many women though. It was a mustache convention, after all.

When she returned to her seat she saw that there was a guy sitting opposite to her in the table next to hers. He gave her a smirk, twisting the tip of his mustache with his fingers. She gave her a quick smile in return and sat again.

"Pretty chill outside, uh?"

Penny took a while to realize he spoke to her. "Sorry, what?"

"Nevermind. I wonder why a pretty lady like you is lonely in such a lovely hotel. You certainly didn't come to MusCom, did you?"

"No, not really. I'm not alone, I'm here with friends... They are just... sleeping."

"My friends are sleeping too... Would you mind if I join you?"

"Well, I'm almost finished." She tried to sound convincing, she definitely was not in the mood for being flirted by the mustache dude.

"I don't mind at all." He stood up and sat across from her.

"I'm sorry, I think you misunderstood, I-"

"Don't bother Penny, let me try to dumb it for him. Get the hell out of my fiancée's table!"

The guy, who was not much taller than Leonard, quickly stood up, apologizing and leaving the place. Penny stared at him flabbergasted, she had never seen Leonard acting so brave before.

"Leonard, I-"

"Penny, I'm sorry I arrived back late in our room." He took the chair the guy was sitting and placed it closer to her. He sat down, bringing her to a hug. "I'm really sorry."

"That's ok, Leonard." She replied, giving him a weak smile.

"No, it's not ok, you made such a beautiful preparation for our dinner, and I blew it."

She looked down, caressing his hands. "Yeah... I was here wondering what happened to my romance ninja."

"He got lost among mustaches last night, but now he's right here!" He lifted her head holding her chin, and kissed her passionately.

"By the way, I loved the macho display with the mustache guy, I bet he almost peed his pants."

"I'm pretty sure he did! He was lucky that I let him go, otherwise I would have kicked his ass!"

She rolled her eyes, kissing him deeply.

* * *

Sheldon woke up again with Amy in his arms. He couldn't remember a time he had been happier than now. What happened that night had surpassed all his expectations. Not that he hadn't hoped for it, but he thought they would make out a little and sleep, getting used to each other's company in bed.

His fingers brushed her soft hair, making it messy and fixing it back again and again. He could do that for hours, he felt so relaxed and serene. He had never been so grateful for his eidetic memory. He never wanted to forget that night and for the third time he replayed the events in his head.

_He reached for the drawer in his bedside table, opening it just sufficiently to reach for the pack of condoms. He sat up and opened the foil, figuring the right side in the dark._

_"Let me help you, Sheldon." Amy gently took the slippy piece of rubber in her hand, giving him an encouraging nod._

_Taking a deep breath, he brought his hands to the ease the knot of his pajama pants and lifting his hips he slid his pants and briefs down his legs, kicking them out. He suddenly felt too bare, and covered himself with the blankets._

_"Are you going to be all dressed?"_

_"Would you feel better if I removed my pajamas?"_

_He nodded, feeling his heart beating faster as she handed him the condom and started to undress. She started with her pants and panties, and when she started to remove her top she stopped. "Will you take out your top as well?"_

_"I... I can do that."_

_He looked away, trying not to stare at her and make her uncomfortable, as she displayed her full bare chest._

_"You can look at me, Sheldon. You're my boyfriend, there's nothing here you can't see."_

_He turned his head and gulped. He couldn't believe how beautiful she looked even in the dark, her curves molded with shades, the light coming from the window tracing her arms and shoulders._

_"You're absolutely remarkable!" The condom was forgotten among the blankets, as Sheldon took her in his arms, kissing her deeply, like they did a few hours before. He lowered her on his bed, never breaking their lips apart, letting his hands explore her magnificent body. He found her left breast, squeezing it lightly, eliciting moans from her, which made him braver. Her hands were not dull, she grabbed the rim of his pajama top and pulled it up, setting him free from his last piece of fabric. He helped her, returning right after to kiss her, positioning himself on top of her. He could feel his arousal pressing against her legs, which reminded him of the lost condom._

_"Amy, condom." He quickly sat up, reaching for another foil, and as he took the other one in his hands he started to roll it down his length. Amy watched him with a smile on her face, her breathing erratic. He completed his task and he brought his hands to her thighs, spreading her legs to fit him between. He tried to be as gentle as he could, anxious for what they were about to do. His heart pounded so hard in his chest he thought it might be visible from the outside. The look in her eyes, he could only identify it as desire. He was sure he had the same look for her. He slowly lowered himself, adjusting the distance, placing his erection on her soft, wet core. The first contact was breathtaking. He closed his eyes, capturing every sensation, never been so aroused in his whole life. When he opened them again he saw she also had her eyes closed tight, her mouth slightly open, her chest raising with deep breaths. She looked so gorgeous, he wanted to devour her completely. He brought his mouth to her neck, spreading kisses all over it, bringing his hands to massage her breasts, while he moved his hips slowly, exploring this new found area he already loved so much. He lowered his lips to take one of her nipples in his mouth, nibbling, licking, amazed by its softness and unique texture. When he couldn't wait anymore, he raised his head and looking at her loving eyes, he asked the question to which he was dying to hear an affirmative answer._

_" Amy, let me make love to you."_

_She just nodded, kissing him passionately. He couldn't hold it anymore, his hand guiding him to the unexplored, slowly filling the tight walls, while the other caressed her head, his forehead pressing against hers, their breathing mixed, they couldn't tell which moan came from whom, as their bodies united. He didn't think. He let his body take over, absorbing each sensation, memorizing every reaction._

_They found a rhythm to their own music, and how he tried to not let it end soon! But it was useless. The overwhelming feeling betrayed him and he found his climax, falling on top of her, letting out a breath, kissing whatever part of her skin he could reach. After a while he lifted his head, feeling sorry for not being able to please her the same way._

_"Amy." She just smiled at him, she looked genuinely happy._

_"That's ok, Sheldon, it was amazing."_

_That was really unfair. He felt so powerless, so inexperienced, he wanted to make it up for her._

_"Next time I promise it will be perfect. But by now, there's something I think I can do to fix that."_

_He lowered his hand from her face down to her breasts, giving it a little squeeze, and going further until he reached between her legs._

_"Sheldon, you don't have to-"_

_He didn't let her finish that sentence, he kissed her deeply, while his fingers found her wetness. After a few strokes, he decided it was wiser to ask her help._

_"Amy, teach me how to please you."_

_"You're already doing a good job." She smiled, placing her hand on top of his, guiding him to find her nub. "Here. Like this."_

_He watched her reaction, how her face showed the moments she felt most pleasure, and he felt powerful again, being able to make her feel that way. It didn't take long for her to reach her own climax, arching her body to prolong it, while Sheldon kissed her lips, unable to hide his smile._

_They cuddled for a while, and Sheldon didn't even bother to get cleaned. He just threw his condom in the wastebin near his bed, eager to hold her close again. And they fell asleep shortly after._

He couldn't help but hug her closer to him, still brushing her hair, kissing her forehead once in a while. He never felt so sure about his decision. He didn't doubt it would be amazing, but he definitely had no idea of how he would really feel.

He looked at the drawer and smiled. This was going to be a Valentine's day they would never forget.


End file.
